Experience
When you are ready to experience the full range of unique attractions offered by the Granite Belt region let us help you choose an activity - you can choose as much or as little as you wish. Experience the Granite Belts diverse country haven, tranquil national parks, rugged country tracks, wineries, gourmet foods, lavender farms, skincare factory and more all in Granite Belt Time. 
Granite Belt to Rival Barossa and Margaret River.
A recent feature article by wine guru Max Allan in the Weeekend Australian listed the Granite Belt as Australias 'Future Region' for wine making.
Allans observations that the Granite Belt has 'terroir' in spades, delighted those in the Queensland wine capital in and around Stanthorpe. While local have long argued that the Granite Belt has the potential to rival other wine super-regions, other are now catching on.
The article highlighted the cultural and geographic uniqueness of the region as becoming more and more attractive to Australias increasingly savvy wine market. Matched by growing specialisation by regional winemakers the Granite Belt is set to become recognised nationally for quality, uniqueness and historical value.
The Wine Experience..........
The Granite Belt offers a fresh easy-living environment to wile away the days. The air is clear, the sky is blue, the temperature is cool. The temperate climate of the area is influenced by Stanthorpe being located 1,015 metres above sea level, so visitors enjoy cool weather every season of the year!
Queensland s Premier Wine District, The Granite Belt invites you to taste from its ever growing list of award winning wines. With over 700 hectares planted with wine grapes and over 48 Wine Producers, the Granite Belt continues to build on its reputation as Queensland s leader in quality cool climate wines.
Made up mostly of family-owned wineries with a number of well established larger commercial producers, the Granite Belt wine industry was pioneered by the Puglisi family (Ballandean Estate Wines) and the Robinson Family (Robinsons Family Vineyards). The Granite Belt now boasts Australias best Verdelho (Robert Channon Wines) and some of Australias most sought after reds (2005 Petit Verdot at Ravens Croft Wines) - and these are just to name a couple! Visit the cellar doors and meet first hand the people behind the wines - unique to our region - the wine and the people still go hand in hand.

Strange Bird??????
Believed to be the first of its type in Australia, the new Granite Belt Alternative Wine trail showcases sixteen alternative grape varieties designed to appeal to those who want something different.
Current Strange Bird wines available are those made from: Barbera, Chenin Blanc, Durif, Colombard, Gewurztraminer, Mabec, Marsanne, Mourvedre, Nebbiolo, Petit Verdot, Pinot Gris, Sylvaner, Tannat, Tempranillo and Viognier.
Granite Belt Varieties
Shiraz and Syrah are both names for the same red wine grape. The Shiraz grape was once thought to have originated in Persia, but recent research indicates the grape is a native of the Rhone valley, in France. The grape creates a heavy red wine that has recently fallen out of favor with many wine lovers.
Cabernet Sauvignon is the name of both the grape and the wine it produces. Cabernet is known as one of the worlds finest red wines, with its depth of complexity and richness of flavor. Other names for this grape and wine are Petit Cabernet, Petit Vidure and Vidure, and in Italy, Uva Francese.
Chardonnay is thought to have originated in Lebanon, and in France, Chardonnay became the only grape allowed to be grown in Chablis, Burgundy. These white Bungundy wines were well enjoyed, and the grape is also used in sparkling wines.
Verdelho is a Portuguese variety which performs well in Australia and is used to produce dry, sweet and fortified wine styles. Verdelho is best described as a generously flavored style, reminiscent of tropical fruits, and balanced with crisp acidity. Rich textured palate, juicy tropical fruit flavors and soft acid.
Sauvignon Blanc has been used for generations in France, and came to California in 1878. In the US it is sometimes called Fumé Blanc , a name first coined by Robert Mondavi to play up its smoky flavors. The sales of the wine under this new name now exceed sales under the original name.
The Granite Belt is defined in the south and east by the QLD/NSW Border, in the north by a line through the village of Dalveen. In the west a north/south line separates the granite soils to the east from the warmer, drier traprock area in the west of Stanthorpe Shire.
Explore and Discover.............
The Granite Belt has a spectacular wonderland of granite rock features. Only a brief 10 minute walk on the property will take you to a truly spectacular view from the top a sheer granite escarpment. This short walk introduces you to the delights of the natural bush with grass trees, native lavender, wild flowers and birds. Be delighted by the unexpected sight of shy wildlife such as rock wallabies and kangaroos.
Have a leisurely picnic from the top of the escarpment. Or shelter in the stand of pines nestled in a cleft in the massive granite boulder. A spectacular view of the Broadwater valley and the surrounding vine yards and farms will relax and revive your senses.
Discover the full experience by visiting the wonderful Girraween National Park, only a short drive away. Girraween has a wide variety of walks that take in spectacular rock formations. Follow the creek and marvel at the astonishing rock pools and formations carved by the action of water.
Visit the Bald Rock National Park just over the border in New South Wales. It is well worth the drive. Bald Rock, the largest granite dome in the southern hemisphere, is about 750 m long, 50 m wide and rises 260 m above the surrounding plateau to a height of 1277 m above sea level. Besides Bald Rock and Little Bald Rock, the two most prominent domes in the park, there are many other granite domes and outcrops of geological interest and visual appeal.
A number of walks make the most of the parks granite landscape - including the track to the summit, which includes canyons, stone arches and panoramic views.
